In Finland, we have our own odd easter traditions with somewhat paganist roots. This particular tradition I'm talking about takes places a week before easter, on Palm Sunday (also known as Branch Sunday), which is on the 28th of March this year, so I'm upping this here now since my matriculation exams are starting on the 15th, and I'll be kinda busy with them.

In the tradition, finnish children gather (by themselves or with the help of parents, older siblings, etc.) dozens of twigs of pussy willow (nothing funny there, check wikipedia). Then the children adorn the twigs with colourful paper, etc.

Then they dress up as colourful witches with many bright layers of clothing and go aroudn the neighbourhood, from door to door and give the people adorned twigs in exchange for sweets, money, etc.


Sooo... our Easter Witches are kinda like the american halloween. But we all dress up as witches. And we have to adorn the twigs. No twigs, no sweets. And there are no tricks invovled. This is supposedly about the finnish mentality on how you have to do things to get things. Nothing is for free, and you need to learn some proper things about giving and getting.
I mean, you can't go to a store and just take a bike because you're dressed in a halloween costume. You have to give something for it in exchange!